Orbitz (drink) facts for kids
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| Type | Soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | The Clearly Food & Beverage Company |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Introduced | 1997 |
| Discontinued | 1998 |
| Related products | Clearly Canadian |
Orbitz was a special fruit-flavored drink from Canada. It was made by The Clearly Food & Beverage Company, who also made Clearly Canadian drinks. Orbitz was unique because it had tiny, colorful, edible balls floating inside! It came out in 1997 but didn't stay on shelves for very long because not enough people bought it.
Some people thought Orbitz looked like a "drinkable lava lamp" because of the way the balls moved around. Even though it disappeared quickly, in 2013, the company thought about bringing it back for a short time. This was for people who remembered it and felt a bit nostalgic.
Contents
The Cool Floating Balls
The small balls in Orbitz didn't just sink to the bottom. They floated around because they were almost the same weight as the liquid around them. A special ingredient called gellan gum helped them stay floating. You can think of gellan gum as a super tiny, invisible spider web that held the balls in place.
This gellan gum made the drink look very clear, almost like water. Adding sugar to the drink made it even clearer. This special ingredient created a very weak support system that kept the balls from settling.
Why Did Orbitz Disappear?
Orbitz was introduced in 1997, but it didn't sell very well. Because of its low sales, the company stopped making it in 1998. This meant Orbitz was only available for about a year.
After the drink was discontinued, the company that made it sold its website. An internet travel company, also named Orbitz, bought the website.
Orbitz Today: A Collector's Item
Even though Orbitz didn't last long, it became quite famous. Unopened bottles of the drink from when it first came out are now collector's items. You can sometimes find them for sale on online auction websites. People who remember the drink often want to buy these old bottles.
What Flavors Were There?
Orbitz came in several interesting fruit flavors. Here are some of the flavors that were available:
- Black Currant Berry
- Blueberry Melon Strawberry
- Pineapple Banana Cherry Coconut
- Raspberry Citrus
- Vanilla Orange
